One of a Kind
by Ariyah
Summary: Dean Hardcastle had once posed the question and there are days Mike agrees with her. But apparently, Sulley doesn't. Post-MU, pre-MI. One-shot. No slash. By Ariel of Narnia


**Disclaimer: **I own only the OC that briefly appears in here and the beige paper. The rest is Disney/Pixar's.

**Thanks to:** Swanwhite, Sir-William, and Lil at The Lion's Call for reading over this and offering pointers.

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"_If you're not scary, what kind of a monster are you?"_

The question still haunted him sometimes. Complete with the voice of doom and the clack-clack of many feet against the tiles. Regardless of the fact that he'd already declared himself "okay with okay". Despite the fact that he – and Sulley – had surprised Dean Hardcastle and won a measure of respect.

What kind of monster _was_ he anyway?

One that tried too hard. Or was it not enough? One who was a failure. Or at least, a failure in the areas he wished most to excel in. One that had no skills. Or rather, all the wrong ones. One that was insignificant except to certain other monsters. Or was he insignificant to them too? One that didn't have what it took to amount to anything important.

One that didn't matter.

"Wazowski!"

Mike barely avoided a head-on collision with a wall of bright orange shell. He looked up into half a dozen yellowish eyes and a huge grin bristling with fangs. "Oh, Mr. Watson, hi!"

Two retractable, noodle-like arms wormed out of their respective holes on Watson's right side and together shook Mike's hand. "Just wanted to say congrats on making that mailroom record. I've never seen that place so organized!"

Mike gaped at the two thin appendages shaking his own. "Oh, w-well, it's nothing." He could have kicked himself for his failed attempt at breeziness.

"It's more than nothing, Wazowski," Watson said, leaning in a little and lowering his voice just a tad. "Everything we do here, _everything_, you understand, is all part of the big picture. Every machine needs its nuts and bolts and they're no less important than the gears."

Mike just stared at him in stunned silence.

If Watson noticed, he didn't indicate it. "Speaking of which," he continued as he finally released Mike's hand, "I thought you were off today."

Mike shook himself. "Oh, yeah, yeah, we are. It's just that we left something here last night. Just gonna grab it from my locker."

"Need to work on your Teammate Appreciation submission, eh? I'll bet you've got a dilly of a report to write."

This time, Mike _was_ breezy. "Oh, that? I finished that last week. It's Sulley. How hard could it be?"

"Well, good luck to you. Who knows, maybe the two of you will win the jackpot!"

"I'm pretty sure you and Ernie will win," Mike answered with a returning smile.

"We'll see, we'll see. Say, I've gotta push off."

"Go get 'em, Mr. Watson. Let me hear 'em scream!"

Watson grinned wider and released all of his tendril-like arms from their sheltered holes: four on each side, two in the front, and three on his back. "Don't worry: you will!" With a wave of all of his arms, he sauntered away.

Mike stared at his hand. _Harry Watson shook my hand!_ With a bit of wistfulness he couldn't suppress, Mike watched the scarer disappear around a corner, then he padded his way in the other direction toward the locker room with Dean Hardcastle's question marching through his mind on centipede feet.

Opening his locker, he stared down his sombre reflection. "Now listen to me," he scolded his mirrored self, "you've got no reason to complain. Life's great, you enjoy your job – I mean, come on! you revolutionized the mailroom!" He began to rummage about in the locker, but continued to lecture himself. "You've got a decent home close to work and cheap enough to afford, you're saving up for a good car…." He shut his locker empty-handed and crossed over to Sulley's. "And _most _important of all –"

He couldn't suppress a howl of excruciating measures. With more shouting and hopping, Mike freed his foot from under a dumbbell that had rolled out of Sulley's locker. He lost his balance and slammed into the lockers, causing a beige sheet of paper to flutter out of the open cubbyhole and land over his eye. Only when he'd caught his breath and realized that his foot was throbbing did he bother to remove the paper. As he did, the text turned his attention away from his ballooning toes. He knew he wasn't supposed to read it. Not yet. But he sped through it. Then read it again – slowly – to let it really sink in.

_**Teammate Appreciation Contest Application  
Name:**__ Jimmy Sullivan  
__**Teammate's Name: **__Mike Wazowski  
__**Department:**__ mailroom  
__**Tell us what you appreciate about your teammate.**__ Mike Wazowski is…_

_Motivated: He sets himself to do anything and everything he wants and needs to do, no matter the odds, no matter his worries, no matter how big the task at hand is. He's got a one-track mind that focuses on his priorities. In everything he does, he's there one hundred percent._

_Imaginative: He is a problem-solver and will use whatever he's got available in order to fulfill a goal. He's always thinking outside the box to reach conclusions._

_Knowledgeable: He never quits learning about anything and he works hard to add all of that to his mental inventory._

_Enthusiastic: He's a passionate, lively guy and never seems to run out of energy, no matter what he has to do. He throws himself into the task that needs doing. _

_Willing: Whether it's listening to me share my troubles or helping the too-little paper-boy with his papers, he's always ready to jump in as he is able. You never have to ask him twice._

_Attentive: He's the sort of guy who'll remember your name and it's rare for him to not pay attention to the task at hand._

_Zany: He balances all the serious with a good dose of fun. He appreciates a good joke, isn't afraid to try crazy new things, and has great moments of unintentional humour that always brighten the moment._

_Optimistic: When the chips are down, he looks at the bright side. When the odds are against him, he goes for it anyway. He is realistic (most times) and occasionally pessimistic, but in the end, his optimism wins out._

_Winsome: His personality, though sort of thrown together, is an attractive one that causes many to know they've made a good friend. _

_Sincere: He is never afraid to speak his mind, so I never have to wonder if he means what he says. Good or bad, pretty or ugly, his word is dependable._

_Kind: He will go out of his way to do a good deed or say an encouraging word. He understands more than he lets on, making him a wonderful friend that sticks around through thick and thin._

_Inspirational: Last, but not least, Mike inspires me to push my limits, to try new things, to never say never, and to be a better friend myself. There have been times I want to give up, but when I see how Mike has pulled through the things he has, I know that I can do it too._

With an almost blissful smile across his face, Mike held the paper close. "And most important of all, Mike Wazowski," he continued his lecture where he'd left off, "you've got the best friend in the world."

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